Hope was Dressed in Red
by Melancholic Pianist
Summary: Beauty and the Beast with a Homestuck twist. Aradia is a nice girl who wishes for nothing more than to leave her village and go out to an adventure. She soon finds herself living her dream, but not the way she expected. Now a prisoner in an enchanted castle, she does her best putting up with its coldhearted master. But could Aradia be the key to opening his heart. M for Karkat


**Author's notes: Okay, so this is my first ever fanfic, so anybody got a problem with it, don't judge me. Since I love **_**Beauty and the Beast**_** and **_**Homestuck**_**, I thought I'd make a crossover. Oh yeah! Some characters may be a bit occ, but the general of their character is still in there. Disclaimer: I don't own Beauty and the Beast, which belongs to some French guy. I don't own Homestuck, which belongs to LORD HUSSIE!**

**This fic is rated M for Karkle Sparkles' potty mouth! Enjoy, readers!**

It is said that long ago, in a land unknown, there was a prince. He ruled his kingdom with an iron fist and was feared by all. No one would dare to defy him, and all those who ever did were tortured and executed so they instill fear into the hearts of the strong. He was a cruel and vain prince, a tyrant who was said to be the spawn of the devil himself.

One night, in the cold and bitter winter, an old woman arrived at his door. She asked for shelter from the cruel cold, and in exchange she offered him a book. A simple book with blank pages, nothing written. The prince, repulsed by the woman's worn appearance, sneered at the offer and ordered the woman to be sent away.

The old woman calmly told the prince 'not to be deceived by appearances, for real beauty comes from within.' But the prince was cold and cruel, and once again ordered her away. Then, in a flash of blinding light, the old woman melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The prince begged for forgiveness, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart. She cursed him, giving him the form of a monstrous beast. She cursed his lands and his people, binding them to darkness. The book she had offered was truly an enchanted book, which would every day record his life until the last page would be filled, in which he will remain a beast forever.

The enchantress disappeared, her parting words being this: "Only when you learn to love, and the one you love will love you in return will you break the curse." The prince, repulsed by his horrifying appearance, locked himself away in his castle for the rest of his days. After all…

Who could ever learn to love a beast?

"Aradia."

"Aradia!"

"Get up!"

"Hm?" I hummed softly as my eyelids fluttered open to the feeling of something poking my forehead.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked up to meet a pair of goggle-covered blue eyes accompanied by a 400-karat smile.

"Good morning, Horuss." I said with a small sigh and sat up, "Excited?"

"Don't go horsing around with me, Aradia. Even you are no so daft to not know the answer." Horuss' smile widened as he said this, revealing more of his pearly white teeth. Though I found his smile nothing but cute, it was that same gleeful and wide smile that never failed to scare the town children. Children often feared Horuss for very silly reasons that I failed to understand. I had asked the villagers about it before, but all they did was laugh and give me even more silly reasons such as the way he thought and dressed.

I don't quite understand why Horuss was considered a strange sight by the village. His wardrobe itself was very unique and full of personality! Take his always-present metal goggles for example. They were made by Horuss himself, crafted with scrap metal, leather belts and a pair of giant blue lenses. The goggles had been designed so they wrapped around the sides of his head. I have many times wondered if they were uncomfortable, but the gleeful inventor seems just happy with them. Horuss always wore a worn-out, double button jacket over a brown, long-sleeved shirt, worn trousers and a leather belt with the Sagittarius sign wrapped over the aforementioned jacket. Nothing strange nor odd about it.

I flip my legs over the side of my bed and stretch my arms. Glancing at the book wrapped around my sheets, I must have fallen asleep while reading. It wouldn't be the first time. I stand up and start making my bed as Horuss retreats to the kitchen. I finish making my bed and take the book into my hands before walking out of my room. The smell of bread and coffee filled the air… and so did the sounds of clanks and saws. Sounds like Horuss has already gotten to work on his new invention. I hope it's better than the last one.

I shiver at the thought. No wonder he and my mother got along so well when they were younger. Speaking of my mother, I should probably visit her today since I'm going out anyways. I look at the list lying next to my breakfast. And going out indeed; I wonder what Horuss is planning to build with all of this…

"_Fresh lizard skin_?" I read aloud, "I am both curios and afraid." I pocket the list and quickly eat my breakfast before exiting the house. "I'm going out to town, do you need anything else?" I call out from the outside of the basement hatch next to our house. I hear a furious set of clanks before the hatch opens to reveal Horuss holding a strange instrument.

"Ah, yes. The apples seem to be disappearing. Would you mind getting some?" he asks. I shake my head, "Not at all, though they wouldn't be disappearing if you didn't feed them to the horses behind my back. I'll be back before noon, good luck." I say with a grin and turn to leave. I hear Horuss make a strange noise like that of a neigh and the sound of the basement hatch closing. I chuckle softly and leave for the village. Horse lover.

Our house was close to a cliff and away from the busy village. Most people gossiped about the strange things we may be conspiring so far from the rest of the population, but the truth is that we just like it that way. It's quite, it's far away from prying eyes and there's a great view of the world afar. Nothing like the bustling town full of colorless people.

After hopping over a stream, I arrived at the village. Like every day, people bustled around in their everyday lives. The flowerer rearranged her bouquets with upmost craft, the baker brought fresh bread, the women nitpicked and the men laughed amongst themselves. Children chased the animals, making the shepherd's job much more difficult than it should be. It was a humorous sight, really. Finally, there was the hunter, but I'm staying away from him.

I made my way to the library and entered the small building. I was instantly met with the smell of old books and a polite smile.

"Good morning, Aradia." Aranea greeted me from behind the counter.

"Good morning to you as well, Aranea." I said and walked to the counter, placing the book in my hands on the wooden surface, "I've come to return the book you lent me. Thank you for letting me borrow it."

Aranea waved her hand with a smile, "Oh, nonsense! You're family here, I don't mind!" she said and placed the book in her bag. Aranea and I have known each other for two years now when I ran out of books to read. It turns out that she and my mother were friends, so Aranea was nothing but thrilled when I said I was my mom's daughter. Aranea aspires to be an author, so she's been working in Dolorasa's Library almost all her life. She and Miss Dolorosa were the only people, aside from Horuss, that I could call _friends_.

"Back already?" a soft voice chuckled. I turned to look at the graceful silhouette of the darling Miss Dolorosa. Like always, she was the picture of perfect grace with her almost luminous, pale skin and glossy, short black hair. She reminded me of a wise queen that you would only find in fairy tales. What really made me think of her as a queen, though, were her knowing, green eyes. It amazed me to no extent how they seemed to read you so clearly, as if you were an open book.

"Yes, I came to return a book I borrowed." I said with a nod. Miss Dolorosa nodded and looked at the piles of books around the store, "I'm sorry that we don't have anything new today. It is hard to order good books all the way out here." I waved my hand and shook my head, "Oh, it's no problem at all, I understand." I started to look through the books, not noticing Aranea grinning at Dolorosa.

"Well, actually…" Aranea started. I turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. "We might just get some soon." Dolorosa said with a grin.

"Really?!" I exclaimed. Aranea nodded gleefully, "Yes, Dolorosa and I are going to go to the big city and bring back a whole bunch of books! Enough to fill the entire store!" She was practically jumping in place.

"Well that sounds just splendid! What do you think of bringing back?" I asked. Aranea was now beaming, "Mysteries, adventures, romance, horror! We're going to raid the shops there!"

"Now, now, Aranea, you know we have a budget." Dolorosa said with a chuckle. Aranea shrugged, smile still intact, "I know, but still, I'm so excited!"

"So when are you leaving?" I asked. "Tomorrow morning. We don't want to arrive there in the middle of the night, marauders could be prowling around." Aranea shook her head as she said this. Dolorosa waved her hand, "Oh, don't be silly. The road we will be taking is the safest I have ever gone through. No peril whatsoever." She said calmly and retreated to the back of the shop.

"I hope you're right, Dolorosa. If anything were to happen to us, who will make sure Aradia doesn't snap?"

I chuckled at that, "Horuss?" Aranea waved her hand in dismissal, "No offence, Aradia, but he's already fried. I think all he will do is accelerate the process. I thought for a moment. In its own way, it's true.

"You may be right, but wouldn't that be a good thing?" I said. Aranea paused her retaliation and nodded.

"I wish I could go with you, away from the village…" I said with a sigh. Dolorosa and Aranea exchanged looks and smiled sympathetically at me. "Hm? What?" I blinked a few times at the soft smiles they had. Aranea shook her head, "It is nothing; we just wish you could come with us."

"Maybe next time you can." Dolorosa said with a twinkle in her eye. I nodded and smiled. I gave each of them my goodbyes and left the store soon after. Horuss will be wondering why I'm taking so long.

"Thank you very much." I say to the apple seller as I placed a bushel of apples in my basket. He sniffs and turns away. Well that was rude! I sighed softly and turned around to head for home, but had my path blocked by- Oh no.

"Good morning, Aradia." I looked up to meet cold, blue eyes.

"Good morning, Equius." I greeted back. Equius Zahak. Remember when I said I didn't want to deal with a hunter today? This is what I meant. Equius is the best hunter in town, also the most popular man in town. I really didn't know what the rest of the villagers saw in him. Men aspired to be like him, women swooned in his presence and children would follow him around all day and pretend to be like him. It was a sad fact to my eyes.

People often question me for my dislike of him, and sure I can admit that he was handsome, being fit and strong with dark black, chin-length hair, but- That is not what makes a person someone to be admired. And Equius, aside from being handsome, was conceited, possessive and arrogant. That is not something to be admired.

I nodded at Equius and turned to leave when my path was blocked yet again by Equius' one and only little pet, Neptan. Neptan isn't such a bad person as long as you get him alone, but when he's by Equius' side, the only word that can describe him is 'obnoxious.' Neptan is a small boy with wavy black hair and jade green eyes. He always wears a green coat and a strange hat that appeared to have cat ears. It was no surprise to anyone that the young boy loves cats more than anything. He used to be considered and outcast like Horuss and I, but once Equius decided to make him his personal puppet, people began to talk to him again and ignored his eccentricities.

"Where are _mew_ going?" Neptan asks gleefully. I almost giggled at the cat pun if it were not for the fact that Equius was currently leaning closer to me.

"Please, you two, can you not leave me to myself for one day?" I ask as politely as I can. Equius arcs an eyebrow before leaning to snatch a book from my basket. My eyes widened, _No, Aranea gave me that!_

"Reading again?" Equius asks, though it was a rhetorical question. I huff softly and hold out my hand, "Equius, can I have my book please? I really need to go to Horuss."

"You don't need your book to go to that lunatic." Neptan snickers. I feel my face reddening and I attempt to take my book back, "Just give me back my book."

Equius pretends to give it some thought before smiling with what I could only describe as _malicious intent_. "I might return it… if you come over to my place. Maybe even stay for the night." he says, smile still in place. Ugh, how barbaric! I glare at him and moved to kick Neptan in the shins. The young boy yelps and falls, rubbing his leg. Equius quickly leans down to help him up, giving me the chance to snatch the book from his hands and dash away. Equius maybe a coldhearted blockhead, but I know he has a soft side for Neptan. I flinched a bit at the memory of the younger boy's pained face. _I will apologize to him later_.

As jumped over the stream and ran through a small field, I slowed to a stop as the village cemetery came into view. It had been placed on the outskirts of the village to keep the people safe from ghosts. Ridiculous if you ask me, ghosts don't harm anyone. In fact, they are more like guardians of the living than anything else. I began to walk to the cemetery, noticing it was already sundown. Horuss will be mad, but he will understand.

I pass the old tombstones and statues of angels that had already lost their glamour a long time ago and walk to the very back of the cemetery, where no graves were ever placed. It was dark and full of vegetation, so no one ever buried the dead here in fear of dark spirits and such. Again, simply ridiculous.

I approached a clean grave, obviously preserved for a few years. Small white and red wildflowers grew around it, and before it lay a bouquet of dead flowers. I sit down on the dark green grass and put the bouquet aside. I take out a set of fresh flowers from my basket (which hadn't been crushed by the apples) and placed them in front of the grave. I look at the engravings which read _Damara Megiddo_.

"Hello… mom."

I walk up to my house and was about to open the door when it opened from the inside. There stood Horuss, obviously fuming. "Where in horses' name have you been!?" he almost shouts. He was frowning unlike his usual smile. I bow, "I'm sorry, I did not mean to arrive at this hour." I say apologetically. He steps aside so I can enter, and judging by the look on his face, this wasn't over.

Once we arrive on the kitchen, he snaps. "I was worried sick! You said you would be here by noon, and you arrive after dark! I thought you had been kidnapped by marauders on the way here! I was this close to seeking help from the village! Do you have any idea how concerned I was?! What would your mother say?!" I stood there in silence. He had a right to be angry, and I was not going to get in the way of him letting all that steam out.

I say nothing. Horuss sighs and slumps on one of the wooden chairs around the table. He takes of his goggles and places them on the table before massaging his temples. He looks up at me with worried, cerulean blue eyes. I felt my breath get caught in my throat. It was moments like these that I remember how young he was and how much trouble he must be going through to be taking care of me.

My mom and Horuss had been friends for years. True, she was older than him, but that didn't change that they had a close friendship. Since my father had disappeared on the first month of my mom's pregnancy, it had been Horuss who took care of her. They weren't lovers or anything, just friends. A while later after I was born, he had to leave to take care of his dad. Mom understood, so she raised me by herself.

I was only ten years old when my mother died. Horuss had heard the news on the village over and came here to see if it was true. Here, he found my mom's grave and me lying next to it. After that, he immediately took me in, being the father I never had. He was only eighteen when he took me in. **Eighteen**, only eight years older than me at the time. I cannot begin to understand how hard it must've been for him, losing his closest friend, raising a child, yet he pulled through. For that I am forever grateful.

I take a step forward and drop to the floor, wrapping my arms around his torso. "I'm really sorry, Horuss." I mumble. I feel a large hand place itself on my head, and hear Horuss sigh.

**MY FIRST CHAPTER IS COMPLETE! Can I have a hallelujah! Anyway, this fic will include humans, trolls, dancestors and ancestors. Let's see how I make it work… welp. If you're curious about pairings, I will only add either official pairings like LatulaxMituna ect, or pairings that are not official, but very likely.**

**I am not sorry for making Equius an ass, and even though a good Gaston would be Eridan or male!Vriska, or Cronus, I just couldn't bring myself to do it! *kisses Eridan and male!Vriska plushies* Besides, I'm trying to relate this as much as I can to Homestuck, so yeah. Anyway, the next chapter will be up soon, so please follow! I swear, it will be better! Anyway, cookies to whoever guesses who the Beast, Cogsworth and Lumiere are!**

**Comment and follow viewers, cuz I write faster when I know people want to read it! WE'RE MAKING THIS HAPPEN! Bye~**


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